diff --git a/src/api-request-manager.ts b/src/api-request-manager.ts
index 3ded6868..0a26ac85 100644
--- a/src/api-request-manager.ts
+++ b/src/api-request-manager.ts
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class APIRequestManager {
 		// available before we can pipe it to the pass-through stream.
 		// If the stream is undefined, then the request failed and we should
 		// propagate the error.
-		if (stream) {
+		if (stream && options.disableStreamPassthrough !== true) {
 			var passThrough = new PassThrough();
 			stream.pipe(passThrough);
 			return passThrough;
diff --git a/tests/lib/api-request-manager-test.js b/tests/lib/api-request-manager-test.js
index 323dcaeb..ea945b70 100644
--- a/tests/lib/api-request-manager-test.js
+++ b/tests/lib/api-request-manager-test.js
@@ -228,6 +228,21 @@ describe('APIRequestManager', function() {
 				.withExactArgs()
 				.returns(expectedResponse);
 			response = requestManager.makeStreamingRequest({});
+			assert.instanceOf(response, Stream.PassThrough);
+			assert.equal(typeof response, typeof expectedResponse);
+		});
+
+		it('should return the Stream directly when `disableStreamPassthrough` is true', function() {
+			var requestManager = new APIRequestManager(config, eventBusFake),
+				expectedResponse = new Stream(),
+				response;
+
+			sandbox.stub(apiRequestFake, 'execute');
+			sandbox.mock(apiRequestFake).expects('getResponseStream')
+				.withExactArgs()
+				.returns(expectedResponse);
+			response = requestManager.makeStreamingRequest({ disableStreamPassthrough: true });
+			assert.notInstanceOf(response, Stream.PassThrough);
 			assert.equal(typeof response, typeof expectedResponse);
 		});
 	});